Toy or working model.



F. HORNBY. TOY 0R WORKING MODEL. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 28. 19 14.

Patented Jan. 4, 19,16.

ZSHEETS-SHEET I.

. F. HORNBY.

TOY 0R WORKING MODEL.

APPLICATION FILED rca. 2'8, 1914.

Patented Jan. 4, 1916. 1

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- nearer, or m razvnnroon,- nae Application and Februaryas, 1914. Serial No. 821,740.,

the combination of such device .with other parts of such toys or models.

In such construction of toys it is frequently desirable to connect rodsor shaftin arranged at difl'erent angles to extend a 'fiength ofshafting, rod (1' the like, to provide bearings at and intermediatethe'en'ds of shafting, to provide chucks on the ends of shafts, toprovide guides on rods for cords orthe like, and to provide connectionsbetween the ends of rods and movable elements, such as semaphore armsand fans,

, etc. The toy coupling of this invention may be used for these andother purposes in toy outfits of which it is adapted to form part.Preferably the coupling element is tubular or longitudinally perforatedor bored, the cross-section of said perforation being approximately thesame as that of the rods, shafting, or the like in combination withwhich the coupling is employed. At each end the coupling is provi edwith securing or retaining means, here shown as pinching screws, thatintersect said lon 'tudinal perforation; and at one end said element isprovided with a transverse perforation or bore arranged in a planepassing through one'of said pinching screws. If desired, another similarperforation may be provided at the other end of said element in the samerelation tothe other pinchin screw. in addition to said transverse peroration or perforations, the coupling is provided with one or moreadditional transverse perforations disposed intermediate the endpinching screws, said intermediate perforation or perforations beingdisposed in planes at right angles to the axis of said element orobliquely thereto, and'being provided with retaining meansor screws adated to hold the shafting or the like thereln.

The toy coupling and the combination of the same with the rods, shaftingand the specification of Letters Patent.

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' Patented Jan. a, 191% like with which it is'employed in the c011-struction of toys and working models, will be better understood-byreference to the ac-. company ng drawings illustrating severalembodlments of the inventive idea, and where1n:-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of the coupling shownconnecting together,

three lengths of shafting, the intermediate perforation orhole beingdisposed at right angles to the axis of thedevice or element;

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the coupling shown inFig. 1 ;.Fig. 3 1s a plan V ew; Fig. 4 is an end view of the coupling;Fig. 5 a perspective view showmg the' intermediate perforation or holedisposed obliquely to the axis of the coupling; F g. 61s a plan view ofthe parts shown in Fig. 5; Flgs. 7 and 8 are perspective views of twomodels, showing various uses of the coupling in combination with therods,-

shafting andthe like with which it is employed.

Referring .to the drawings, wherein like reference letters and numeralsindicate like parts, 1 indicates the improved coupling device which isin the form of a tubular element of metal or other suitable materialhaving a longitudinal perforation or bore 2 which is of'the samecross-section as shafts,

axles, rods,,and thelike a, in combination with which said device isemployed. As

shown in the accompanying drawings, the

rods, axles, shafting; and the like are circular in cross-section, butit will be understood that these parts may be made of any suitable shape.in cross-section, so long as the longitudinal perforation or bore 2 ismade of similar shape. At each end of said device or element thereprovided suitable retaining means, here shown-in the form of pinchingscrews 3 and 4 fitted into threaded holes which intersect saidlongitudinal perforation or bore, so that by inserting the ends of theseparate pieces of rod or shafting into the device and then tighteningup the screws 3 and 4, the parts are secured in position and aa rigidcontinuity of the shafting is obtaine bore 2- as indicated in dottedlines, Fig. 1),

. l The coupling has a transverse perforation Q masses or transverselyin the bore 5. If desired, a second transverse perforation or hole maybe formed in the other end of said device or element in similar relationwith the other pinching screw or retaining member 3.

Between the retaining members or screws 3 and 4 one or more transverseperforations or holes 6 are provided to intersect bore 2. In thearrangement shown in Fig. 1, hole 6 is formed at right angles to thehole A. retaining member or pinching screw 71s positioned at theintersection of perforatlon 6 and bore 2 and is adapted to grip a lengthof shafting or the like when inserted 1n either of said perforations. Itwill be observed that the coupling shown in Fig. 1

can be utilized for connecting together shafting or rods disposed inthree diflerent directions, and it will be appreciated that such adevice is extremely useful 1n constructing small braced toy structuresor models.

at right angles to the longitudinal perforation or bore 2, is dispEosedobliquely thereto, as clearly shown in ig. 6. .As prevlously indicated,several such intermediate perforations or holes, and of differentangular inclinations, may be provided.

While many advantages of the, coupling in combination with rods 0rshafting with which it is employed, may be secured even though saidtransverse perforations are of a cross-section ,difierent from that ofthe longitudinal perforation or borev 2, said transverseperforations orholes are prefer ably of the same cross-section as said longitudinalperforation or bore and of the same cross-section as the rods, shafting,and the like incombination with which the device is employed, to the endthat the standard sized rods or shafts employed may be used in any ofsaid perforations, thus largely increasing the uses to which said devicemay be be put in combination with the other parts of the toys or modelsin'the construction of which it playssuch an important part.

Some of the numerous practical uses to which the improved device may beput in combination with rods, shafting, and the like are indicated inFigs. 7 and 8. lln Fig. 7, the device is shown at b and b as bearingsforshafting that is rotated from a motor 8. At 0 the device is shown asa coupling connecting the two parts 9 and 10 of said shafting; and at d:and d and e and 0 it is used as bearings for counter shafts 11 and 12,respectively, the devices in these positions being supported by rods 13and 14, rod 13 passing through the device at b and rod 14 that at b. Thedevice is shown at f and f supporting a rod 15, rods 16 and 17 alsopassing therethroughllt will be observed that the device is used withgreat effectiveness in bracing together various parts of toys or models.At 9 the device is shown mounted on one end of a shaft which is drivenin any suitable manner, the device at this point being used as a chuck.At It it is shown in the same relative position as indicated at b, ashaft 10, which is driven from shaft 10, projecting through thetransverse opening in the end of the device and having a fan 19 mountedthereon, said device also having a rod 20 projecting into itslongitudinal perforation or bore.

In Fig. 8, the device is shown at i mounted on a rod 21, the pinchingscrew that secures the device to the rod being shown in dotted lines. Acord 22 passes through the transverse perforation in the end of thedevice and is connected to one end of a semaphore arm 23. At j thedevice is shown as mounted on the end of rod 21, which latter projectsinto the bore of the device, and the semaphore arm is pivoted to saiddevice by any suitable means, as by a pin held in the transverseperforation in the end of said device by a pinching screw (not shown)said pin passing through one of the openings in the semaphore arm.

While for the purpose of illustration two mechanical expressions of theimproved device or element are shown in combination with other partswhich are used in the construction of toys and working models, and whilethere is illustrated a number of practlcal uses to which the improveddevice or element may be put in combination with the other parts of thetoys or working models, it is to be understood that these are merely forillustrative purposes only; that changes may be made in the improveddevice or element without departing from the spirit of the inventionwhich is defined in the appended claims; and that various practical usesother than those indicated in the drawings may be made with the improveddevice or element in combination with other parts of the working models.

What is claimed is 1. The combination, in a working model, toy or thelike, of rods, shafting, or the like of the same cross-section with alongitudinally perforated element provided with pinching screws at each.'en'd, said element also having a transverse perforation intersectingthe'longitudinal perforation and bedinally perforated element providedwith pinching screws at each end, said element also having a transverseperforation intersecting the longitudinal perforation and being arrangedin aplane passing through one of said pinching screws, and a secondtransverse perforation intermediate the end pinching screws, saidintermediate perforation being also provided with a pinching screw, thelongitudinal and transverse perforations being of the same cross-sectionto receive the said rods, shafting or the like.

3. The combination, in a working model, toy or the like, of rods,shafting or the like of the same cross-section, with a longitudinallyperforated element, retaining means intersecting said perforation andprovided at each end of said element, said element also having atransverse perforation intersecting said longitudinal perforation and being arranged in a plane passing through one of said retainin means, saidelement also having intermedlate said retaining means a secondtransverse perforation intersecting said retaining means, said elementalso having intermediate said retaining means a second transverseperforation intersecting said I longitudinal perforation and arranged atright anglesto said first-named transverse,

perforation, and retaining means associated with said second transverseperforation, said longitudinal and transverse perforations being of thesame cross-section to receive said rods, shafting or the like.

5. The combination, in a working model, toy orv the like, of rods,shafting or the like of the same cross-section, with a longitudinallyperforated element, retaining means intersecting said perforation andprovided at each end of said element, said element also having atransverse perforation intersecting said longitudinal perforation andarranged in a plane passing throughone of said retaining means, saidelement also having a second transverse perforation intersecting saidlongitudinal perforation, and

retainlng means associated with 'said second transverse perforation, allof 'said perforations being of the same cross-section.

6. The combination, in a working'model, toy or thelike, of rods,shafting or the like of the same cross-section, with a longitudinally'perforated element, retaining means intersecting said perforation andprovided at each end of said element, said element also 5 having atransverse perforation intersecting said longitudinal perforation andarranged in a plane passing through one of said retaining means, saidelement also having a second transverse perforation intersecting saidlongitudinal perforation, and retaining means associated with saidsecond transverse perforation, all of said perforations being of thesame cross-section and of the same cross-section as that of said rods,shafting or the like.

7. A longitudinally perforated element,

pinching screws intersecting said perforation, said element having atransverse per-,,

foration intersecting said longitudinal per foration and arranged in aplane passing through one of said pinching screws, said element alsohaving a second transverse perforation intersecting said longitudinalperforation and at right angles to said other transverse perforation,and a pinching screw associated with said second transverse perforation.

.8. As an artlcle of manufacture, a coupling device for use in toybuilding construction the same having a through main or longitudinalperforation or bore and a through intersecting transverse perforation orbore, and a single securing means at the intersection of saidperforations adapted to secure a rod, shaft or the like 1n eitherperforation. V

9. As an article ofmanufacture, a coupling device for use in toybu1ld1ng' construction the same having a through mam or longitudinalperforation or bore and a through intersectin transverse perforation orbore, and a pine ing screw at the intersection of said erforationsadapted to secure a rod, shaft or the like in elther perforation.

10. As an article of manufacture,-a coupling device for use? in toybulldmg construction the same conslsting of a cylindrlcal metallicelement having a through main or longitudinal perforation or bore and athrough intersecting transverse perforation or bore, and a pinchingscrew at the intersectionof said perforations for secur ng a rod, shaftor the like in either-perforation.

In testimony whereof I have slgned this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses. p

. FRANK HORNBY.

Witnesses:

Gno. Jonas, RALPH L. Soo'rr.

